But in seriousness, he could have prevented that goal. Or at least tried. Yikes.

He definitely could and should have. 2 strides and he probably could have poke checked the puck away from Stepan. When I first saw this I figured it had to be fake. Didn't notice it during the game. Someone with some really good video editing skills just got Ovi into the shot. Looked at the replay and couldn't believe it was dead-on. Watch the real highlight and it is even worse. You see 4 caps scrambling, where the hell is he? Hoping he plays like this tonight.

As others wrote, ZP really stands ot during the regular season & so far in his career, that difference seems to fade during the playoffs as other players up their game. The Wild still have a few years to build around Parise/Suter, but hopefully they won't find the right recipe to win it all.

As others wrote, ZP really stands ot during the regular season & so far in his career, that difference seems to fade during the playoffs as other players up their game. The Wild still have a few years to build around Parise/Suter, but hopefully they won't find the right recipe to win it all.

Next, I'm hoping for the Caps to end the Rags season on Sunday...

They don't even have enough money to sign most of their UFAs this offseason, much less be able to address any potentially long-lasting issues they might have in goaltending/injuries (there's a huge hole in the G position on the Wild's roster this week). We already thought their cap situation would be a bit tenuous after Parise/Suter contracts, but then they went ahead and got Pominville. Short of tanking next season and trading away for some big first round picks, I don't know how they can get a good young (cheap/not overpaid) core around Parise/Suter anytime soon, at least until Parise/Suter are like 33 or 34.

And no I'm not trying to be doom/gloom for the sake of sh!tting on Parise. I just think Wild's management bet the house and car on stringing a long Cup run this and next season and they had a better chance of it working this season than next season.

Wild are safe in terms of salary cap, if they buy out Heatley/Pominville, that puts them at 43 million (15 players) giving them 21 million to sign 8 players. Assuming Backstrom comes back at 6 mill, they now have 15 million to sign 7 players. We should do a post of amnesty buyouts that will take place this summer resulting in many more Free Agents from top teams. Some of the team that will have to turn to amnesty buyouts look like:

Flyers, Canucks, Hawks, Canadiens, Lightning.

Some teams that may have to resort to amnesty to retain top players: Bruins, Canes, Pens, maybe Wings and Rangers.

The other teams may let go of their dead weight: Devils (Salvador and Volchenkov ... so hoping for these two to go). Time for a new crop of D that can skate fast.

the wild are fine. they will buy out heatley. they will not buy out pommenville. you don't give up what they did for him for a one year rental.

after dumping heatley, they'll have $16MM. plenty to resign their good young RFAs and get granlund in the lineup. backstrom is not making $6M again and it wouldn't surprise me if the wild look elsewhere for someone to pair with harding.

_________________________________________________________________
“They’re the ones that makes it happen,” Lemaire said. “It’s not us. It’s not me. It’s not the other guy. It’s not the guy before. It’s not the guy after. It’s them. And they have to take care of business.”
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"I guess I just miss my friend" (#28)

As others wrote, ZP really stands ot during the regular season & so far in his career, that difference seems to fade during the playoffs as other players up their game. The Wild still have a few years to build around Parise/Suter, but hopefully they won't find the right recipe to win it all.

Next, I'm hoping for the Caps to end the Rags season on Sunday...

That is BS. Zach put the team on his back, espeically in the Ranger series, last year. He was tied for the led in goals scored and had about 60 hits in a strong two way game. Minnesota, similar to the Devils this year, just doesn't have the depth on offense. You only have to defend against the Parise line against when you play the Wild. It's all about depth, when Chicago can still beat you when Toews has no points, that shows Chicago's depth.

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I was wrong to ever doubt the powers of Lou Lamoriello.
IN LOU WE TRUST @Manta04

That is BS. Zach put the team on his back, espeically in the Ranger series, last year. He was tied for the led in goals scored and had about 60 hits in a strong two way game. Minnesota, similar to the Devils this year, just doesn't have the depth on offense. You only have to defend against the Parise line against when you play the Wild. It's all about depth, when Chicago can still beat you when Toews has no points, that shows Chicago's depth.

It's not bs. Name a playoff series since 2007 that he really took over and dominated. He's getting paid almost 100m and he isn't a playoff performer at all. Take away the 5 points he got from empty netters last playoffs and he ranks 7th in points and dead last in +/- for the devils. His best series was probably the rags series but he by no means put the team on his back.

the wild are fine. they will buy out heatley. they will not buy out pommenville. you don't give up what they did for him for a one year rental.

after dumping heatley, they'll have $16MM. plenty to resign their good young RFAs and get granlund in the lineup. backstrom is not making $6M again and it wouldn't surprise me if the wild look elsewhere for someone to pair with harding.

Getting a good goalie to pair with Harding will take cap room. $16m (best possible scenario, after a Heatley buyout as you mentioned), won't go all that far in getting a good goalie and signing/re-signing 6-7 decent players on top of that..

And that's spending right UP to the cap, which is never a good thing in the offseason...

That is BS. Zach put the team on his back, espeically in the Ranger series, last year. He was tied for the led in goals scored and had about 60 hits in a strong two way game. Minnesota, similar to the Devils this year, just doesn't have the depth on offense. You only have to defend against the Parise line against when you play the Wild. It's all about depth, when Chicago can still beat you when Toews has no points, that shows Chicago's depth.

You give the man too much credit. He **tried** to put the team on his back. I think part of him wondered if it was the organization keeping him from succeeding - part of him wondered if it was lack of a really solid support system. I mean he'snot thinking these things clear as crystal in his head he's just thinking "What do I need to break out to the next level"

Well -- this is the difference between Parise and Neidermayer.

Parise... ahhh zach zach zach... he's a mix of temperaments. And he's not very fond of any of them - it seems he likes the idea of being one way, he comes off another way and I get a vibe it's not satisfying for him - that sort of calm Sakic way.

Then he gets angry but not full out, His temper is so weird - it's all grumpy but not fiery and not whiney either.

We'll see if he can move to one side or the other and find some clarity and make it all work. It's HIM though and his own vision that he needs to figure out, The path for this man is within. It's always within - the path was within and attainable for Neids here in NJ but it was easier our West. (He felt like he needed to be respectful of history and tradition here in NJ and it kept him from really stepping up to the plate.)

See, I'd actually really enjoy seeing Zach break out. I actually think he could have learned how to break through this thing if he'd stayed a little bit
longer with the Devils. It actually woudl have been better for him here. So? Ooops... mistakes happen. He may get a Cup even with the Wild -- but he's not going to be satisfied until he feels he can take ownership of the win. I don't see what he should do clearly at all -- but I see he's seeking and working hard. Working smart as well. Hopefully he makes this a productive loss - and I'm glad he got a nice zap to his testes even though I'm sure he didn't think it would be all that easy.

That is BS. Zach put the team on his back, espeically in the Ranger series, last year. He was tied for the led in goals scored and had about 60 hits in a strong two way game. Minnesota, similar to the Devils this year, just doesn't have the depth on offense. You only have to defend against the Parise line against when you play the Wild. It's all about depth, when Chicago can still beat you when Toews has no points, that shows Chicago's depth.

Sorry, perhaps I should have put **seems** in quotes. I wasn't making a statement of fact, just my impression. I just reviewed his PPG for Regular & Playoffs, and every year except 06/07 & 07/08, the PPG drops in the playoffs and usually by about 20%. He's still young and will have plenty of chances to make his name in the playoffs, I just hope it doesn't happen !

It is IMPOSSIBLE to talk to Wild fans on HF, they have their heads so far up their asses, none of them will admit how poorly Parise plays in the postseason. All they say is we are 'butthurt'. They come off looking so stupid.

That is BS. Zach put the team on his back, espeically in the Ranger series, last year. He was tied for the led in goals scored and had about 60 hits in a strong two way game. Minnesota, similar to the Devils this year, just doesn't have the depth on offense. You only have to defend against the Parise line against when you play the Wild. It's all about depth, when Chicago can still beat you when Toews has no points, that shows Chicago's depth.

He put the team on his back with his four non-empty net points and -4 in the Ranger series? It'd be less hyperbole to say Ryan Carter put the team on his back in the Ranger series.

The ONLY dominant playoff series Zach ever had was against the Lightning, when he wasn't defended like a #1 winger. Since he's become a #1 winger he dissapeared in the postseason every year.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 10 May 2013 - 04:57 PM.

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"The Devils have high standards, that's the difference. We have a standard to live up to every year, and a couple of teams in our area don't have the standards we do." - Pat Burns

The New Jersey Devils win Stanley Cups everywhere:-NHL record for most road wins in the playoffs - 10-1 in '95 and 10-2 in '00-NHL record for most home wins in the playoffs - 12-1 in '03

Sucks to see em leave so young(ish) and full of promise, but that contract is just horrible. I thought it'd look bad a few years from now, but if he performs like this every post-season...that may come sooner rather than later

Sucks to see em leave so young(ish) and full of promise, but that contract is just horrible. I thought it'd look bad a few years from now, but if he performs like this every post-season...that may come sooner rather than later

Ding Ding Ding ...Winner

I was thinking the same thing.....as a part of a good team they both looked great, but neither can do what a Kovi or OV can do and carry a team on his own.

The Wild never were the deepest team to begin with. Their second line got on a roll in March, which coincided with their best stretch of the season, but an injury to second-line center Matt Cullen in a game April 1 against the St. Louis Blues knocked him out of the lineup for two weeks.

All of a sudden, Minnesota became a one-line team again, and Parise, Coyle and captain Mikko Koivu simply could not carry the load.

Perhaps more troubling, however, was that line's struggles during the season's final month. In 16 games since April 1, including the playoffs, Koivu had two goals and two assists and was a minus-12. Parise put up four goals and five assists but was a minus-16.

Against the Blackhawks, that line combined for just one goal and two assists and was a collective minus-17. Not good enough for a team that's still a bit thin up front to begin with.